Rack construction



Jan. 16, 1945.

S. SAUL, JR

RACK CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 2'7, 1943 INVENTOR 4 SamueZSau-LJ}:

Patented Jam 16, 1945 UNITED STATE S PATENT OFFICE 2,387,315 RACK cons'rauc'rron Samuel Saul, Jr Pittsburgh, Pa. Application September 27, 1943, Serial No. 503,900

1 Claim.

This invention pertains to industrial rack constructions and is for an improvement in racks of the general type disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,316,892, granted April 23, 1943.

Industrial racks of the class referred to comprise a base having an upright structural frame, comprised in part of inclined side bars, these side bars being notched, the notches cooperating with trays removably hooked thereon, whereby trays may be individually placed on and removed from the racks. In many assembly operations these racks with the trays loaded with parts may be transported from a place of loading to a station where the parts loaded onto the trays are to be used or processed.

While, in many cases, castors or wheels under the rack enable the rack to be moved, many plant conditions are such that this is not entirely feasible, so that the present invention is provided to increase the mobility of the rack.

According to the present invention provision is made whereby the rack may be lifted, even though heavily and unevenly loaded, and transported by overhead crane from one station to another. This is accomplished by providing at the top of the upright structure a horizontal frame that'has a spread substantially coextensive with the base and at each corner of this frame a chain from a crane hook may be attached. This enables the rack as a unit to be suspended without tilting.

My invention may be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is an end elevation of a rack construcstruction embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse section substantially in the plane of II-II of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a top plan view on a somewhat smaller scale of the construction shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the top of the unit;

Figure 5 is a detail view similar to Figure 2 of a slightly modified construction.

In the drawing, 2 designates a metal base member. On the base member is an upright structure which in the present instance comprises an A-shaped frame welded to the base at each end thereof, this frame comprising two inclined bars 8, spaced apart at the bottom and converging toward their tops. There are a pair of the bars 3 at each end of the base. The tops of the bars 8 are joined to each other and to the bars at the other end by a cross piece 6, formed of two angular bars which are welded together and which are also welded to the tops of the bars 8.

The bars 3 are notched along their outer edges as indicated at 5, whereby trays b may be hooked onto the bars at various elevations, and these trays can be removed from time to time as required, as more fully explained in my beforementioned patent.

According to the present invention, a horizontal frame structure is provided at the top of this upright structure, which horizontal frame is substantially coextensive in area with the base. The horizontal frame is constructed of two channel bars 7! bolted and welded to the tops of the uprights 3. They project in each direction from the upright frame a distance sumcient to substantially overhang the base 2. The outer ends of the channel 71' are connected by cross pieces 8 welded thereto. At each corner of this horizontal frame structure is an eye 9 whereby four chains iii suspended from a crane hooi; i i may be releasably hooked by means of hooks B2 to the four corners of the horizontal frame. The chains or cables it are all of equal length.

By reason of this arrangement, a chain or hoist can be hooked onto the chains or cables is and the whole rack can be lifted vertically and moved from place to place. It may happen that in such movement of the rack the trays (it at one side of the upright stand may be heavily loaded with metal parts to be processed, chined or used in an assembly line, whereas the trays on the other side may be less heavily laden, or may be empty. Notwithstanding this. uneven loading of the rack, it will be lifted through the provision of the horizontal frame so that the base remains horizontal.

By providing in a rack construction the horizontal frames described so that the rack can be elevated and moved by overhead means, the racks can be adapted to manufacturing establishments and operations where, because of plant layout, floor conditions, or other dimcultles, such racks could not heretofore be used or could be used only to a limited extent. Moreover, it is unnecessary to have all of the racks provided with castors or wheels on the under side of the base, although my invention is equally adaptable where the base has castors or does not have them. In my prior patent above referred to, the base is illustrated as being provided with castors, and aside from the horizontal frame at the top of the structure, the rack unit is preferably substantially of the same general construction as that shown in my saidpatent. 1

In Figure l of the present drawing I have shown a double rack unit, i. e., one in which the trays may be loaded in two tiers, one at each side of the rack, whereas in my Patent No. 2,316,802

there is shown a rack which has provision for trays on only one side of the upright frame. The present invention is equally adaptable for use with a rack where there is only a single tier of trays. This is illustrated in Figure ii in which ll designates the upright members, II are the notched inclined members. To the top of the upright frame I secured channels I! which pro. ject only a few inches to the rearof the uprisht frame, but which project forwardly so as to overhand substantially the entire base of the rack. The channels II are connected at the forward ends by cross piece ll corresponding in its general arrangement to the cross piece I of Figures 8 and 4.

The horizontal frame formed by the members I! and il hesan eye ilineachof thefourcorners thereof, to which the chain hooks may be attached.

While I have illustrated and described certain particular embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that this is by way of illustran, and that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the contemplation of my invention and in the scope of the following claim.

I claim as my invention:

A removable tray rack construction of the class described comprising a base member, an upright frame on the base member which frame is com prised in part of inclined tray supporting members extending from adjacent the top oi the frame to the base, and a pair of cross arms carried by and rigidly secured to the top of the upright frame, one of said cross arms being at each end of the frame, the cross arms overhanding beyond the lower ends of the inclined tray supporting members and being provided adjacent their outer extremities with means for encasement with sunpension chains or the like, and transversely extending means rigidly connecting the outer extremities of said arms.

' SAMUEL SAUL, Jn. 

